This is one of my students' FAVORITE books. It has really great rhythm and rhyme and there's a great ending to predict. I will warn you that there is a page where the word 'butt' is inferred, but the author switches the word. I read it for fun, let the kids laugh for a minute and then moved on.
This is one of the lessons in the middle of my prediction unit and my students have used the SEE/KNOW/READ strategy and are familiar with using rhythm and rhyme in stories. For more background on these strategies, take a look at Peek Inside and Predict (Lesson 1 of 2), Peek Inside and Predict (Lesson 2 of 2), Predict the Ending - It Goes Around and Around, Predict the Ending and Use the Characters' Voices, Making Shadows with Foreshadowing While We Predict, Go Figure with Figurative Language and Tie it Together with Transition Words.
Underlined words below are lesson vocabulary words that are emphasized and written on sentence strips for my Reading & Writing word wall. I pull off the words off the wall for each lesson, helping students understand this key 'reading and writing' vocabulary can be generalized across texts and topics. The focus on acquiring and using these words is part of a shift in the Common Core Standards towards building students’ academic vocabulary. My words are color coded ‘pink’ for literature/’blue’ for reading strategies/’orange’ for informational text/'yellow' for writing/’green’ for all other words.
Bring in student interest
The examination of character motivation was new to my students. We are examining how they respond to events and challenges and analyzing how and why character develop and interact over the course of the text. (RL.2.3) I am looking for students to develop content literacy expertise by examine the characterization and author's purpose in developing characters. By examining the character's motivation and how they react to situations, students are doing 'close reading', going beyond simple enjoyment of the text to examination of how the characters develop and interact.
Introduce the concepts
The Core Standards also include an emphasis on figurative language as a way to convey meaning. (RL.2.4) Looking at rhythm and rhyme and describing how these words and phrases supply meaning to a story allow the students to practice 'close reading' and looking in the text for evidence, a key shift in the Common Core State Standards toward independent reading and comprehension.
Model
Guided practice
One of the groupings of standards in the ELA Common Core Standards has to do with author's purpose and story structure. As students examine characters and events changing over the course of the text, they are recognizing that stories have structure – a beginning, middle and end – and that each part of the structure relates to each other and the whole. (RL.2.5)
Independent practice
Explain and direct as students work
Reflect
Scaffolding and Special Education
This lesson can be easily scaffolded up or down, depending on students' levels.
For my special education students, I chose to read the book so the barrier of sounding out words or identifying unknown words was alleviated. For any 2nd grade student, I believe it's better to read this story aloud so you can use the correct rhythm, pausing, and expression. If students are to appreciate good literature written in this genre, they must hear a good example. During the writing portion of the lesson, I paired up my students with a buddy so they could quietly work together. You can also give them some vocabulary on a slate at their desk so they can write as well.
For students with greater academic abilities, you should expect richer predictions with higher level vocabulary. Instead of 'he paints a knee' the student could be expected to write a longer detailed sentence, such as 'the boy will paint.... (describe what kind of art - there is some predicting to do there...) on his knee next.'
If you have time, it would be fun to sing the words to this book to a familiar tune "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More." Here's a disney video with lyrics to that song. You could have the kids sing with his guitar and change the words to fit the book.